Daily Lectionary in Poetry Sunday 18th January 2014

1 Samuel 3:1-10

3:1 Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD under Eli. The word of the LORD was rare in those days; visions were not widespread.  2 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room  3 the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was.

4 Then the LORD called, "Samuel! Samuel!" and he said, "Here I am!" 5 and ran to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call; lie down again." So he went and lay down.  6 The LORD called again, "Samuel!" Samuel got up and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call, my son; lie down again."

7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, and the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.  8 The LORD called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." Then Eli perceived that the LORD was calling the boy.  9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, 'Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place.  10 Now the LORD came and stood there, calling as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening."

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Samuel was sleeping
Deep and true
When he was awakened
By the calling of "Samuel"

He ran to Eli
"Yes master, you called"
But Eli was asleep
"Back to bed for you"

Again Samuel was awakened
Again he went and woke Eli
Again Eli told him he didn't call
Again back to bed he went to lie

The Eli realised
What was happening to Samuel
"The Lord is calling you
Reply that you listen well"

So next time Samuel wakened
He answered loud and true
"Lord I hear you calling
I am servant here for you"

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Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18

The Inescapable God
To the leader. Of David. A Psalm.

1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me.
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
    you discern my thoughts from far away.
3 You search out my path and my lying down,
    and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
    O Lord, you know it completely.
5 You hem me in, behind and before,
    and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
    it is so high that I cannot attain it.

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You have searched me
You know me
You read my thoughts 
You see my ways

You hear what I will say
Even before I'm clear myself
Lord you know me completely
You are wonderful yourself

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1 Corinthians 6:12-20

6:12 "All things are lawful for me," but not all things are beneficial. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be dominated by anything. 13 "Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food," and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is meant not for fornication but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 And God raised the Lord and will also raise us by his power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Should I therefore take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! 16 Do you not know that whoever is united to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For it is said, "The two shall be one flesh."  17 But anyone united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.  18 Shun fornication! Every sin that a person commits is outside the body; but the fornicator sins against the body itself.  19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own?  20 For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body.


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Nothing is forbidden
But I must make the choice
Of what brings me closer to God
And what is of selfish voice

My body belongs to God
It's a temple of the spirit
So each choice that I make
Should have God within it

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John 1:43-51

1:43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me."  44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth."  46 Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see."  47 When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, "Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!"  48 Nathanael asked him, "Where did you get to know me?" Jesus answered, "I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you."  49 Nathanael replied, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!"  50 Jesus answered, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these."  51 And he said to him, "Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."

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Jesus went to Galilee
Where he asked Philip to follow
Philip then found Nathanael
Who came to see this fellow

When Jesus saw Nathanael
He knew he was good and true
"But where did you get to know me?"
"Under the fig tree I saw you"

The Nathanael knew with certainty
This was the Son of God
Jesus told him he would see great things
Nathanael would find goodness where he trod
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